Object

Representation ID: 14060

Received: 01/10/2021

Respondent: Mr Frank Bishop

DSA3 - Ketley Quarry

This is an firstly an objection to the following;
• BCP REF DUH213 -Lapwood Avenue Open Space
• BCP REF DUH216 Bryce Road Playing Fields
• BCP REF 203 - Ketley Quarry (policy DSA3)
• BCP REF DUH222 Severn Drive Open Space
1. Traffic impact on site (DUH213 Lapwood). The selected site Lapwood Avenue open space is directly opposite a primary school, on a road that is already severely congested, and parking takes up both sides of the road and surrounding roads, several times throughout the day. Building 45 houses on this field would cause further difficulties for parents accessing the school, and residents of the estate. The site assessment for this site suggests, there would be no "Impact on the wider road network", but a significant effect will happen on the more local road network, several times a day, outside the school.
2. Effect on road safety (DUH213 Lapwood/BCP REF 203 Ketley). It is not yet confirmed whether a through road will be built from Lapwood Avenue through the new Ketley Quarry development; this would create a cut through shortcut between Bromley Lane and the main Dudley Road, which would likely cause a significant increase in traffic moving through the estate not only at peak times, but at all points throughout the day, and further problems leaving the estate at the Bromley Road junction. This would significantly increase traffic, and decrease road and pedestrian safety on the estate, especially at peak school times. This is a strong objection to this and would expect a specific consultation on this if it was proposed.
3. Effect on road safety and car parking for schools (DUH213 Lapwood). A new housing site on Lapwood avenue would reduce availability of car parking for the school which is already overly congested, and decrease road safety, with more cars travelling through, increasing the risk of an accident.
4. Traffic impact on site DUH216 Bryce Road. Bryce Road is a narrow cul-de-sac road, and Blackwater Close is similar, both of which will have to take significantly more heavy traffic during construction of a housing site, and ongoing increased traffic when the site is built. This is unsuitable for the sty le of road here.
5. Effect on road safety (DUH222 Severn Drive, DUH216
Bryce Road) Increased traffic through Corbyns Hall estate from Bryce Road, including Severn drive would increase the risk of an accident happening on the estate. Cars from 100+ houses on Bryce Road would need to leave somewhere features.
6. Important locally
• Local people love and appreciate this green belt area, and want it for future generations
• Important local green space, valuable trees, hedgerows and open fields. Many trees have Tree Preservation Orders
• Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC)
-'Ashwood Haye Fields' - hedgerow around the perimeter of the site and some within the site
• It contains Important local green space, valuable trees, hedgerows and open fields.
• There is an important network of footpaths (rights of way) across the area including links to Monarchs Way, Staffordshire Way, linking to Cheshire Gritstone Trail, the Heart of England Way and the North Worcestershire Path.
• It is next to an important woodland Ridgehill Woods, which will be hugely impacted. Disrupting the wildlife corridors and surrounding habitats for these would be irreversible.
• It is part of the Mid Severn Sandstone Plateau-important for habitat conservation.
• In addition, it is an important habitat for declining British wildlife (list species where known).
• Disrupting the wildlife corridors and surrounding habitats for these would be irreversible.
• Historic character of Prestwood.
Prestwood is a locally designated Historic Landscape area. A collection of Scheduled Ancient Monuments associated with the Greensforge Roman Camp are situated in the area between Swindon and Prestwood to the west of Kingswinford.
7. Huge opposition by the local community
These housing proposals are not meeting affordable housing targets with expensive housing in the Green Belt.
8.
The National Planning Policy Framework
(the government's planning policies) says ''where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas ofpoorer quality should be preferred to those of higher quality" and identifies that:
• Sites of biodiversity should be protected and any impacts minimised (para 170)
• Land with the least environmental or amenity value should be considered for development and habitat networks and green infrastructure should be maintained and enhanced (para 171)
• Protect and enhance biodiversity and geo-diversity and safeguard local wildlife-rich habitats and priority habitats and species, and ecological networks (para 174)
• Inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances. (para 147)
9. The government is stating that brownfield sites should be used and not Green Belt sites. This should be considered across the whole of the region before ANY Green Belt site should even be considered for development
For all the projects including when brown sites are used.
1 Specific concern regarding special schools and children with special needs when there is already over subscription and lack of facilities and provision.